She closed her eyes as his body trembled.This would mean so much more to him.He’d spent his entire childhood being passed from foster family to foster family, no one wanting him.Aunt Maggie was the first person who had cared.And she had cherished his letters enough to keep them all.
She rubbed his back, feeling muscles which hadn’t been there before, and his arms cocooned and protected her like they always had.The two of them had needed each other that summer.She’d felt vulnerable about her place in the family with her mother pregnant with Ezra’s first child, and he’d been anxious about what he would do when he aged out of foster care.
Two souls coming together when they’d needed each other most.
Perhaps that’s all they had ever been and Ethan had been right to break up with her.
She pushed away thoughts of the past and focused on now.He smelled the same; a potent combination of grass and sweat.Her cheek rested on his, and she had a strong urge to kiss it.
Chelsea stepped back, shocked by the strength of her emotion.Not appropriate.
“It’s my turn to get you some water.”She strode into the kitchen, her insides scrambling; one portion wanting to go back and kiss him, and the other portion reminding her he’d broken her heart.If he’d wanted to be kissed by her, he wouldn’t have left her.
Handing him the water, she moved across the room and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears.
Damned if he didn’t look good.He’d grown a beard, but it was trimmed short and had been soft against her cheek.He’d never reached six feet, possibly due to the malnutrition he’d suffered as a child, but he was stocky now, pure muscle.The cargo pants he wore reminded her of the army, as did the black T-shirt that clung to his chest.His hair was messy and she noticed the leaf again.
Her eyes widened.“You weeded Cupid’s bed.”
He nodded.“I arrived yesterday.When I saw the place… I had to do something.”
She understood completely.“I’m waiting for the groundskeeper to call me back.”
“Darren.”
Chelsea frowned.“How did you know?”
He rubbed the back of his head.“I heard you talking to your mum.”He looked a little sheepish.“I spent last night in the barn.Thought I’d do some more work in the garden while I was here.I was going to track you down, find out what you were doing with the place.The neighbour mentioned a property developer was sniffing around.”
Staying in the barn?Surely it wasn’t in a liveable state.But if he’d been on site… “Did you see Johann when he was here?”
Ethan nodded again.“Heard most of your conversation.”
“You eavesdropped?”How did she feel knowing he’d been here all along?Sure, there were plenty of places to hide, but it was kind of creepy.
“You’ve got to admit, Chels, it’s awkward.I shouldn’t be here and you’ve just arrived.I wanted to give you time to settle before I made myself known.This place has a lot of memories for us both.”
She hugged herself.No one called her Chels, but him.It was another tie leading back to their past.
But damn it, he had a point.If he’d arrived before she’d discovered his letters, she might have been ruder than he deserved.
She rubbed her eyes.
“Are you going to sell?”Ethan asked.
“I don’t know.I only heard about the offer a couple of days ago.”It had always been so easy to confide in him.He listened in his quiet way and made her feel like the centre of his world.
But that was then.Who knew the man he’d become?
“I can’t bear the thought of the garden turning into units,” Ethan said.
“Me neither, but the garden’s ruined anyway.”
Ethan hummed.“I could chip away at it.”He shrugged.“I’ve got a month’s leave, and I was coming to help Aunt Maggie anyway.”
Such a nice gesture.But she couldn’t decide now.She was still struggling with his reappearance in her life.“Let me consider it.I want to hear what Darren has to say for himself.”
“Can I go with you?”Ethan asked.“I’d like to hear it myself.”His eyes flashed with anger and for the first time she saw the lethal military man he’d been hiding.
